Sunday, April 10, 2011

Since I rarely register for races more than a month in advance (never know when injuries will crop up) I keep a pretty fluid race calendar. The sole exception this year is Leadville. Unfortunately, it's run the weekend before classes start at Colorado State so I'll look a little ragged the first few days!

Capitol Peak 50 Mile (April 30): this is one of those required races for someone living in Washington. In recent years it has attracted some great runners and I absolutely love the terrain down in Olympia.

Sunflower Marathon (May 7): most likely will register for this, though I'm wary of racing back-to-back weekends. I would really like to lay down a fast trail marathon time, if only because I've never run the distance.

Mountains to Sound 100 (June 25): my first endurance race, I absolutely have to return. Besides, this time I've got a legitimate kayak so I'll go faster than 3mph.

Leadville 100 (August 20): the Race Across the Sky, at an average altitude of 10,000 feet. This is going to be a real challenge, the only harder challenge is securing a hotel or campsite for the busy weekend.

Races I'd like to run that are on the bubble:

Blue Sky Marathon in Fort Collins (Oct 2): a trail marathon run right in my backyard (literally within a couple of miles of my newly-secured apartment near Horsetooth Reservoir).

Pony Express 100 in Faust, Utah (Oct 20): run on the Pony Express Trail through arid Western Utah. The only aid station is...the finish line. A crew with a support vehicle is required to enter, sort of like Badwater. I'd love to be able to convince my parents or some friends to do this, but it's a tough sell. I just like the idea of running on a remote course where you can see for miles all around. Also, wild horses.

Doubtful that I will make the Pony Express. I think two 100's in one year is a good start. Also, graduate school is going to be mad-busy, but that's the way I like it. The Blue Sky is in-town, so that's easy to do. I would like to try to make San Francisco (fly in late on Friday/hop out early on Sunday) because it's just such an awesome run.

Currently, everything has recovered from the Badger Mountain Challenge except my posterior tibial tendon and general left ankle area. I don't think the race aggravated it, as I kept it taped and under compression, I just think it prevented it from healing. I'm going to try an aggressive arch support for the next week or so to take the tension off of it and give it a chance to heal.